According to a press release published by Naval Group on October 13, 2021, the third of the four Argentinian offshore patrol vessels (OPV) ordered by the Argentine Navy, OPV 87 A.R.A. Storni, was delivered in the presence of Captain Santiago Villemur, representative of the Argentine Navy in France.
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Third Gowind-class Offshore Patrol Vessel Almirante Storni (Picture source: Naval Group)
A.R.A. Storni has been delivered to the Argentine Navy today in Concarneau in the presence of Captain Santiago Villemur, representative of the Argentinian Navy in France, who also handed over the commandment of the ship to Commander Óscar Latorre.
This delivery was carried out by teams from Naval Group and Kership, a joint-venture between Piriou and Naval Group. It is part of the contract signed by Naval Group with Argentina in 2019 for the delivery of four multi-mission patrol vessels. A.R.A. Bouchard (former L’Adroit) was delivered in December 2020 and A.R.A Piedrabuena on April 13th this year.
With the delivery of A.R.A. Storni, the program keeps progressing as scheduled to conclude with the delivery of the last vessel scheduled for April 2022. A 44-people crew from the Argentine Navy has been trained in the operation and maintenance of the vessel.
This third patrol vessel of the series acquired by the Argentine Navy offers the same assets and features as those of the A.R.A. Piedrabuena. Better armed and motorized than the Bouchard, equipped with an active stabilization system and a bow thruster, it is also Ice proven, i.e. adapted to navigation in the cold waters of Antarctica.
The Gowind design is a family of steel monohull frigates, corvettes, and offshore patrol vessels developed in 2006 by France's Naval Group, formerly known as DCNS, to conduct missions in the littoral zone such as anti-submarine warfare (ASW). The Gowind family includes vessels with lengths from 85 to 111 meters (278 ft 10 into 364 ft 2 in) and displacement from 1,000 tons to 3,100 tons.
The Gowind design can deploy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), and underwater unmanned vehicles (UUVs). An aft deck has been provided allowing for a 10-ton class helicopter or UAV operations.
The platform's weapon system consists of multi-functional radar and MICA surface-to-air missiles (SAM). It is armed with Exocet anti-ship missiles. The propulsion system is based on Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD) and includes water jets for improved maneuverability in shallow waters and high-speed performance.
